cuddle me real tight
by eaglesforthecup
Summary: "It's been two weeks since she last saw him and it's driving her crazy. Her friends all say she's overreacting, but they don't understand." WestAllen relationship seen through teddy bears. Based on a silly headcanon where Iris and Barry give each other teddy bears before Barry leaves for college to remind them of each other. This was the first WA fic I wrote so it's a little rusty.


Barry finally finishes packing up all his stuff the night before he's supposed to head off to college with Iris' help. The two sit on his bed, leaning against his headboard, glad to finally be done.

"I can't believe you're bringing your microscope with you to college, Barry," Iris teases with a large smile. "You're such a nerd."

The word, coming from Iris, has always been like an affectionate term of endearment, so Barry just grins and elbows her side gently. "Hey, microscopy is a legitimate hobby."

"Legitimate but also nerdy," she says. He gives her an exasperated look and she laughs. "It's adorable, Barry. Really."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the cutest nerd you know," he says, repeating the oft-said line with a wide grin.

The two rest their heads against each other, one yawning and the other following suit. Despite their tiredness, neither wants to fall asleep, wanting to soak up as much time in the other's presence before everything changes.

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow," Iris says, voicing the thought that has been haunting the back of her mind.

"I know," Barry says. The thought had been haunting his mind too. He's been half-considering transferring over so he could stay with Iris, though he knows she'd never let him jeopardize his future like that. He had gotten into such a good forensic science program.

"It's going to be weird," she says, a little emotionally. "You not being around."

The thought scares her a little. Barry not being just a door down? She doesn't really know what she'll do without him.

"Maybe you'll meet a nerd even cuter than me," he says jokingly, though there's a real fear underlying the attempt at humor.

"Hey," she says, nudging him with her shoulder. She covers his hand with her smaller hand. "You know you're my best friend, right Bear? No one could ever replace you."

His mouth curves. "You're my best friend, too, Iris."

She smiles softly. "Nothing is going to change," she promises. "We'll visit each other and Skype and we can call and text. There's no reason for our friendship to change."

"You're right."

Her eyes twinkle. "Aren't I always?"

He rolls his eyes, still grinning, and nudges her with his elbow. "Always."

She's grinning, too, but the grin dims somewhat as she snuggles closer into him. "I'm going to miss you."

He lets out a soft sigh, the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes. "I'm going to miss you, too."

"I really don't want today to end," she admits, even if it feels a little selfish to her. "I'm going to be such a mess tomorrow."

"Me too," he says honestly.

"I just… I love you, Barry," she says. His heart thumps wildly in his chest. "You really are my best friend. No one understands me like you do."

He deflates a little, though that does nothing to calm his heart. This is it. This is the moment. He has to tell her now before he leaves and it's all too late. "Iris," he says, voice heavy with emotion. "I…"

She twists, facing him, a half-curious, half-concerned expression on her too-pretty face. "What is it, Bear?"

"I…" he swallows thickly. Just tell her. It's now or never. "I have something for you."

She blinks, a little disappointed by the response. She had thought… But she shakes that thought away from her head and smiles. "You have something for me?"

He nods, feeling like such a coward. But so much is already going to be different. He's not sure how much more change their relationship could take all at once.

He shakes that thought away and grins. "I know we already got each other graduation gifts, but…"

"No, I got you something, too," she says, half-incredulous that they could be on the same wavelength all the time. "A going away to college gift." She beams at him. How could she ever think that their friendship would suffer from being apart? They were like two peas in a pod. "Wait here."

Iris leaves, presumably to get his gift and he hops off his bed to get her gift from where he had hidden it. The two settle back on Barry's floor, sitting criss-cross and facing each other.

"Me first," Iris says eagerly, snatching the bag from his hand. She reaches in and pulls out a soft, fuzzy Teddy bear, complete with a lab coat and goggles. She stares at it, eyes wide with surprise.

"It's sort of a joke, but I, um, thought I'd, uh, get you something to remember me," he says embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, because you call me 'Bear' and science and all."

Iris' forehead creases and she breaks into a wide grin. "Aw, Barry," she coos, bringing the bear to her chest. "Bear Bear Jr. is adorable."

He quirks an eyebrow. "Bear Bear Jr.?"

"It's a cute name," she protests, sticking her tongue out at him. Her eyes twinkle teasingly and she says, "I might have to take back what I said about you being the cutest nerd I know. Bear Bear Jr. is giving you a run for your money."

"Curse that bear," he says dramatically. "If I had known he was going to steal you away, I would have never given him to you."

"Too late now," she giggles. Thrusting her gift towards him, she says, "Now open mine!"

Barry chuckles in amusement. Iris' excitement and enthusiasm about gifts is too adorable for him to handle. If she gets any cuter, he'd probably explode. "Alright, alright."

He reaches in, paper crinkling, and pulls out a pink Care Bear with a little rainbow on its chest. He blinks, brow furrowing.

"It's a gag gift," she explains quickly. She bites her lip. Maybe the gift wasn't such a great idea. "I thought since I call you 'Bear' and since it has that rainbow, it could kinda remind you of me? It's stupid, I know–"

"That's not it," he assures her, flashing her an earnest smile. "I was just wondering if you knew what I was going to get you? Because…"

She laughs. "No. No. I guess we just think a lot alike."

His grin widens and he taps his temple. "Great minds."

"Exactly," she says, smiling. "I think, if this is any indication, our friendship will be just fine."

"Guess you're stuck with me, Iris," he says with a half-smirk.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Barry."

The two smile at each other, a certain charge in the air. Barry's heart quickens and his stomach flips. It might seem strange that she can still produce that response when he's known her nearly his whole life, but that's just Iris. Her smile just does things to him.

"Hey, Iris?"

"Yes, Barry?"

"I love you, too."

Nothing changes. She continues to smile at him, oblivious to the real meaning behind his words. "Aw, thanks, Barry."

Someday, he'll tell her how he really feels. He'll tell her the truth. Someday…

—

"Dude, what the fuck is that?"

"It's a Care Bear."

"I know it's a Care Bear. My question is, why do you have that thing?"

"Technically, that wasn't your question."

"Don't be a smartass, Allen."

"Iris gave it to me."

"Iris, the chick who helped you move in?"

"That's the one."

"…"

"What? What's that look for?"

"Dude, you are so whipped."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't even, man. I saw you interact for all of five minutes and I could tell."

"…is it that obvious?"

"You're hopeless, man. Hopeless."

—

"You really can't come home this weekend?" Iris asks, fiddling with Bear Bear Jr.'s goggles.

It's been two weeks since she last saw him and it's driving her crazy. Her friends all say she's overreacting, but they don't understand. When she goes too long without seeing him, it feels like a part of her is missing. Texting and calling and Skyping ease the Barry withdrawals a little, but she just really wants a good old-fashioned Barry bear hug right now.

"I'm so sorry, Iris. I really would if I could," Barry's voice comes from her phone. She can hear the guilt and longing in his voice. It makes her feel guilty and ashamed of her selfishness. "My grade really depends on this lab and–"

"It's okay, Barry," she assures him, hugging Bear Bear Jr. tightly into her chest. The bear's soft, fuzziness dulls some of the pangs in her chest. "Skype date on Friday night?"

"You bet."

"I miss you."

"Miss you, too."

—

"So that was Beverly," Iris says in that fake casual tone that she always uses to ask about girls.

Barry just nods. "That was Beverly."

"She's cute," she says slyly, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Don't even start. Hal's already said it all," he says, groaning. Hal's said a lot of things actually, most of which do not bear repeating to Iris.

"See!" she says, slapping his arm lightly. "Even Hal says so! Who better to listen to than your best friends!"

Except most of Hal's advice is to either tell Iris the truth or to move on with a nice girl like Beverly. Neither of which Barry is really capable of doing. Hal just rolls his eyes and says Barry's acting like a coward.

"Look, Beverly's a nice girl," he says. "And I like her…"

"But?" she prompts, raising an eyebrow.

"But I don't like her that way," he says. Not enough anyway.

Iris frowns. "You've never even gone out with a girl beyond one date. Are you sure you're even giving these girls a chance?"

"I swear, you're more interested in my love life, or lack thereof, than I am," he says, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. They reach the door of his apartment and he unloops his arm from hers to get his keys from his pocket.

"I just want my best friend to be happy," she protests, clicking her tongue, pushing the door open for him. She continues to stroll through his apartment and into his bedroom as if it's her place. Barry trails after her like a lost puppy.

"It's not like you fare much better."

"I go on at least three dates each guy, so I do fare better, thank you very much."

"Still not that much better when you're always canceling or ending dates early."

"That's not fair. I–" A bright splash of pink catches her eye and she cuts off abruptly. Iris heads towards his bed and picks up the stuffed animal. "You kept the Care Bear?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course," he says, giving her a weird look. "You gave it to me."

"It was just a joke gift, Barry," she says, still staring at the bear. "I thought you'd keep it in a box or something. Doesn't Hal make fun of you?"

"All the time," he says, shrugging. "I don't care though." Smiling, he adds, "It reminds me of you. Why would I want to hide it?"

Iris' heart warms and she breaks into the widest, softest smile. His heart quickens. "Aw, Barry."

Seeing that smile is worth all the teasing and ribbing, Barry thinks, unable to keep from smiling wider in response.

—

Iris pretends to wipe her brow. "Man. Who knew I had so much stuff to go through."

"Are you sure you want to bring all this stuff, babe?" Eddie asks, picking up a worn softball glove.

"Of course! I can't leave that behind!" Iris takes the worn glove in her hands and examines it with a smile. "My grandpa gave me this glove." She puts it in one of the empty box. "I have to bring it."

"And this?" he says, pointing to a really bizarre painting.

"One of my college friends gave me that!" She picks it up and makes a face. "Okay, maybe not this." She laughs. "Charlotte kinda had bad taste."

"Kinda," he agrees, tilting his head to look at the painting. "Really bad taste actually."

"Eddie!"

"What?"

She just shakes her head, somewhat amused. "I'll just leave that here."

She puts the painting back in the back of her closet, making note to give Charlotte a call sometime, just to catch up.

"This is cute," Eddie says, holding up a familiar bear. "I like the lab coat."

"Bear Bear Jr.," she breathes. "Barry–" I loved you before I even knew what the word 'love' meant "–gave him to me."

"I was wondering when Barry would pop up," Eddie says. He hands the bear back to her.

"Yeah… He got this for me before he went off to college," she says, bringing the bear to her chest. "Whenever I missed him, I'd just hug Bear Bear Jr. and it would ease the ache a little."

Hugging the bear does nothing to ease the ache in her heart now. _I loved you before I even knew what the word 'love' meant._

"That's really nice," Eddie says, obliviously. Once she had told him that Barry had denied having feelings for her, he had dropped the matter altogether. If only he knew…

Iris looks down at Bear Bear Jr. and her heart starts clenching. She shouldn't bring him, right? She should just leave him in here.

She fiddles with her ring absently. _I loved you before I even knew what the word 'love' meant._

_'Hey, Iris?' 'Yes, Barry?' 'I love you, too.'_

She's putting Bear Bear Jr. in the box with the softball glove before she even realizes it.

—

"I can't believe you still have this thing," Iris says, holding the pink Care Bear in her lap.

"You always say that whenever you see it," Barry says, rolling his eyes. He prods her side, causing her to squeal. "Get a new line already."

Iris slaps his hand away and sticks her tongue out at him. "I just really can't believe it."

"You still have Bear Bear Jr.," he points out.

"Bear Bear Jr. is the second cutest nerd I know," she says, prodding his side in revenge. He snorts. "I couldn't get rid of him."

"I couldn't get rid of the Care Bear," he says, shrugging. "It means a lot to me."

"But it was just a gag gift," she protests. "The rainbow connection was so flimsy. It didn't make any sense."

"Hey," he says with mock seriousness. "Don't knock the Care Bear. My girlfriend gave it to me."

Iris gives him a look and rolls her eyes. "I wasn't even your girlfriend then, Barry."

"Girlfriend. Best friend. Same difference." Barry shrugs. "I felt the same way about you then as I do now."

"Aw, Barry," Iris says, melting at his words. She gives him a quick kiss and he smiles goofily at her, as if he's earned the biggest jackpot of the year even though it had only been a small peck. She can't help but smile in response.

"Besides," he says, picking up the bear. "This thing did its job."

She furrows her brow, tilting her head quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Well, whenever I missed you, I just looked at this bear—did you know its name is Cheer Bear? It's a perfect name because I saw it and I'd think of how warm and cheerful you are. It reminded me of your smile and…"

"And?"

"I don't know. Whenever I think of your smile, I can't be sad."

"Now you're just being sappy."

"No, really. You have the most beautiful smile in the world," he says earnestly, eyes full of adoration. "It always gives me a major case of the feels."

When she pulls him in for a long kiss, both of them smile into it.

"Hey, Barry?"

"Yes, Iris?"

"I love you."

Wide grin. "Hey, Iris?"

"Yes, Barry?"

"I love you, too."


End file.
